Harbour Engineering Department (HED)

The Harbour Engineering Department (HED) is a line Department of Government of Kerala, which does investigation, planning, execution and monitoring various projects in coastal area. Mainly, this department does the construction and maintenance of fishing harbours and fish landing centres, fishery infrastructures like hatcheries, ponds, farms, etc., shore-based tourism projects, infrastructures of Ports and coastal roads.

Kerala has most number of fishing harbours in India, and it is because of functioning of HED, as an engineering department specially formed to take up marine projects in coastal sector, which was instrumental and succeeded in getting sanction and financial assistance from the centre.  Kerala has 24 fishing harbours including 10 ongoing projects now. All the projects were proposed and submitted to Government of India by this department for sanction and financial assistance, after conduction of investigation works.

Considering expertise in doing marine structures, Government of India have declared and given consultancy status to this department for taking up harbour projects for other maritime states/institutions. HED is the service department of Fisheries Department for the execution of their infrastructure projects.